The Civil Engagement

Contents

Overview

The Civil Engagement is a Steampunk Superhero setting whose
backdrop is the American Civil War (1861-1865). The action primarily takes
place east of the Mississippi River. Individuals with strange mystical or
scientific abilities fight on both sides of the war, and there are also those
who try their best to stay out of it.

Characters

Unlike many of our settings, the Civil Engagement focuses on
specific individuals in whose hands the future lies.

The Union

One of the United States’ first publicly known superheroes
was the Sergeant-Major, a “super soldier” who rose to prominence as a reaction
to the success of Colonel Dixie in the South. He commands a platoon of cavalry
from the back of a mechanical horse. He carries a pair of Colt Dragoons and an
electrified cavalry saber known as the “terrible, swift sword.”

Much of the North’s strange, new defense technology is
developed and maintained by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which has
been charged to do whatever might be necessary to act in the Union’s
defense.Aside from their regular
offices, the Pinkertons have a base located on an airship. The dirigible acts
as a mobile headquarters for Allen Pinkerton, the head of the Agency, who is
said to carry a specially-developed lightning gun.

The Pinkertons’ airship is also a launching base for the
Tuskeegee Airmen. Originally escaped slaves from Tuskeegee, Alabama, the Airmen
provide the Union with a significant advantage in reconnaissance and surprise
maneuvers. Each Airman sports an experimental jetpack, allowing him to fly
faster than the speediest ornithopter.

Many of the inventions being used by the North have been designed
by the still-living Dr. Benjamin Franklin. Franklin wears a metallic frame that
he created long ago to stop his aging and prolong his life through
strategically applied surges of electricity. He is employed by the Pinkertons,
who develop and distribute many of his “technological wonders” for the war
effort – though Dr. Franklin is sometimes of the opinion that they’re also his
wardens, maintaining a constant watch over him in an effort to keep him out of
trouble. Among other things, Franklin is responsible for the design of the
Sergeant-Major’s sword and the Tuskeegee Airmen’s jetpacks.

The Confederacy

The best-known super-powered individual in the South is
Colonel Dixie. He possesses considerable mental powers that allow him to
control people’s minds as well as read their surface thoughts and emotions. He
is also known for his ability to create mental illusions, something he’s used
to considerable advantage on the battlefield. The model of a Southern
gentleman, the Colonel carries a cane and often dresses in a white coat and
tails.

While Dixie is a member of the Confederate military and many
seek to follow his example, there are a number of private citizens who also
fight for the Southern cause. Among them are a group known as the Daughters of
the Confederacy.

It is known that there are three Daughters, each possessing
her own different abilities. The first is an empath called The Belle, a
masterful manipulator who has the ability to control people’s emotions. The
second is Scarlett, who is skilled in a number of close combat techniques and
possesses superhuman agility. The third is known as the Veil, a lady skilled in
the art of stealth who has the ability to change shape and impersonate
virtually any individual.

The secrecy of their identities is aided by the fact that
they are not truly a group of three, but seven. They are made up of two sets of
twins and a set of triplets. An unknown mystical entity has granted them their
powers, but there is a catch: only one from each set of sisters can use the
powers at any one time, and the abilities pass back and forth between them. So,
they each take turns as their super-powered personae.

Another private citizen who supports the cause of the
Confederacy is an inventor by the name of Beauregard (or “Beau”) Poseidon. He
is an eccentric contractor who comes from a wealthy family and is the primary
gadgeteer for the CSA. Poseidon is also the shipwright of the South’s Ironclads
and possesses his own submarine vessel. For his own protection he carries a
number of personal devices of his own creation, including an electrified
trident.

The Guardians of the Frontier

Occupying the Disputed Territories is a neutral group of
super-powered individuals who try to limit the damage done on both sides of the
war. Their membership consists of a core of six members dedicated to the cause of
peace.

Major Ursa is a former member of the military who left for
the territories shortly before the war. He has been granted the power of the
Totem of the Bear. When he calls on it, he gains the Bear’s super strength.

The Acadian is a French fur trapper from the former
Louisiana Territory. He is a master at both laying traps and disarming them.

Rolling Butte is a geomancer. He has the ability to call on
the power of the Earth and can manipulate it to do his bidding. He can command
all forms of rock and dirt to aid in the defense of himself and his comrades.

The Medicine Woman is a wizened lady with the power to heal.
There are many times that she has brought her teammates back from the brink of
death.

The
final member of the group is the Maiden, also known as the Maid of Orleans.
Like the Acadian, she is also French, and she is rumored to be the
reincarnation Joan of Arc. She has the ability to summon up a holy sword and
shield made of pure energy.